Using your enemies may be better for organisational performance

What a difference it will make in the world if we learn to utilise the skills and expertise of former enemies instead of entrusting positions and responsibilities to friends and family solely because of familial connections. Law 2 of Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power states, “Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemies.” Greene admonishes to be careful of friends because they are inclined to jealousy and are never satisfied with kindness. Many organizational decisions are motivated by nepotism and at the expense of growth, profit, trust, morale, etc.

Oxford languages define nepotism as the practice by people in position of power or influence to favour relatives, friends or associates, especially by giving them preference to jobs. Today we look at the impact of nepotism on an organization’s culture but before we do, let’s take a closer look at Robert Greene’s
Law 2. Many people surround themselves with friends and familial connections arguing that familiarity fosters loyalty. However, Greene states that loyalty is more certain from a former enemy than a friend because the former enemy has more to prove than a friend.

I was told a story of a leader who, in choosing his inner circle, chose loyalty over competence. He was so afraid of being undermined that he selected people for key positions within his organisation who were inclined to be loyal by obligation. In return, the organisation suffered severely because of people operating at the level of their incompetence. Their direct reports suffered because of lack of guidance.

The alliance suffered because the leader frequently lashed out at them because of their incompetence and blamed them for inefficiencies and low performance. In the end, although the individuals never directly undermined him, they were so afraid of him that they never challenged him or held him accountable; instead, they sat silently and watched his bad habits destroy him.

Rutherford B. Haynes, the 19th President of the United States of America is quoted as saying “No person connected with me by blood or marriage will be appointed to the office.” In an IvyPanda article titled “Ethical Theories and Nepotism Relationships Reports, it is argued that nepotism is an early step in politics and business corruption. The author references the ethics of duty identified by Immanuel Kant’s ethical theory which states that goodwill should be the basis of human actions. In other words, a person’s decision should be motivated only by the sense of duty. While I am not opposing hiring a friend or relative who has the required skills and expertise and is considered the best fit for the job, I am opposing disqualifying a former enemy because that person may have been on opposing sides, may have challenged you, or as the saying goes “rubbed you the wrong way.”

Too many organisations are being run like political parties. Once a leader is challenged or criticised, the employee or member is outed, side-lined, considered an enemy and in many cases blocked from future opportunities for upward mobility. On the other hand, the friend or relative who is stroking the leader’s ego benefits from his/her bootlicking. FasterCaptial in an article titled “The Impact of Nepotism On Organizational Culture.” https://fastercapital.com/topics/the-impact-of-nepotism-on-organizational- culture.html, the author argues that nepotism has the following impact:

1. Erosion of Meritocracy: meritocracy within organizations is a primary concern associated with nepotism. When people are hired or promoted because of familial connections rather than skills and abilities, a perception is created or confirmed that their success is not determined by merit but by who they know. This results in disengagement and demoralization among employees and even have psychological impact as people believe that their qualifications and abilities are undervalued.

2. Lack of Diversity: Nepotism often results in a lack of diversity within an organization. Many organizations that give priority to familial connections or diversity do so at the expense of increased innovation, creativity and problem-solving capabilities that come with diverse perspectives and background.

3. Weakened Trust and Morale: Nepotism can significantly impact trust and morale within an organization. Nepotism can breed toxicity in organisations when employees feel that promotions and other opportunities are based on personal relationships instead of performance and qualifications. This can erode trust in management and weakens the dynamics of the team.

4. “Impaired organizational performance: Ultimately, the negative impact of nepotism on organizational culture can translate into impaired performance. When employees feel undervalued.”

While a world without nepotism is not the real world, the reality is, the “friend thing” lows down the progress, retards growth and results in unproductivity and disengagement in many organisations. Why not give an olive branch to a former enemy and see what that person has to prove?

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